


Yo tampoco encuentro mi lugar

by TheyCallMeBol



Series: This Must Be The Place [18]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: But also, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Family, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gen, Lance (Voltron)-centric, seriously this is just Lance and his fam having a good time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-23 11:36:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11988990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheyCallMeBol/pseuds/TheyCallMeBol
Summary: They say family is the friends you are born with and friends are the family you chose.Or, five fond memories Lance has with his family and one that wasn't so happy.





	Yo tampoco encuentro mi lugar

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!! I know some of you started highschool and stuff recently so I hope everything is going okay!!  
> I'm moving to college in a week can you believe it? because i can't lmao  
> Anyways, here is a chapter with Lance's past! 
> 
> The title is from 'Me contó' by Maldita Nerea. and means I don't find my place either.  
> I hope you like it!

1- 2011’s two or three days after Christmas, McClain’s house. Varadero, Matanzas. Cuba.

 

‘’Nope.’’ Lance said not lifting his gaze from the book.

‘’Pero Lance-’’ (but Lance-)

‘’Tiiiio-’’

‘’Primo-’’ 

‘’No, niños. Un no es un no.’’ (No, kids. A no is a no).

‘’Pero tú siempre jugabas a la guerra con nosotros!’’ (But you used to play war with us all the time!)

‘’Tío Lance pasa de esta. Búsquen a Su.’’ (Uncle Lance is going to miss this one. Look for Su.)

‘’Aún está durmiendo.’’ (She is still sleeping.)

‘’Siempre está durmiendo.’’ (She is always sleeping.)

‘’¿Por qué no jugamos a una guerra de besos?’’ (Why don’t we have a kiss war?) he left the book on the couch to hug his little cousin and pepper her chubby face in kisses while she struggled.

‘’¡No!’’ Maria said between giggles. 

‘’¡Suéltala!’’ (Leave her!) Clara said jumping over Lance trying to free her cousin. ‘’¡Marco, ayúdanos!’’ (¡Marco, help us!)

Soon Lance had three kids over him and the couch had started making weird noises, so he got up with the three of them holding onto him weirdly.

He bent over and they got off.

‘’Las guerras de besos son lo peor.’’ (Kisses wars are the worst.) Maria said rubbing her hands all over her face.

‘’¡Queremos pelear de verdad!’’ (We want to fight for real!) Marco said.

‘’Okay, okay-’’ Lance said laughing. ‘’Pero sólo una. Tengo que estudiar.’’(But just one. I have to study.)

‘’Siempre tienes que estudiar.’’ (You always have to study) Maria muttered.

‘’¿Quieren pelear o no?’’ (You guys want to fight or not?) Lance asked standing, hands on his hips.

‘’¡Si!’’ Marco shouted and ran to grab his cousin’s leg.

Maria was following her brother soon and she managed to climb to his back.

‘’¡Clarita!’’ she called her. ‘’¡Ataca!’’ (Attack!)

The little girl grabbed Lance’s free leg and tried to make him fall by pulling it. Lance stumbled a little and tried to grab his niece but she flipped over and suddenly he wasn’t holding her anymore as she slipped.

‘’¡Clara-!’’ the girl fell on the floor head first and for one second the four of them kept quiet. Then she sobbed once, twice, and soon they were all over her.

‘’¿Estás bien Clarita?’’ (Are you okay Clarita?)

‘’¿Te duele?’’ (Does it hurt?)

‘’Claro que le duele idiota-’’ (Of course it hurts idiot)

‘’¡Que alguien vaya a por agua!’’ (Somebody gets water!)

Marco and Maria disappeared running and quickly there were more people on the living room.

‘’¡Lance!’’ his big sister shouted from the door.

He hugged Clara while she calmed down and he sighed relieved when he confirmed there wasn’t blood. 

Maria was there soon holding a vase with trembling, hands.

‘’Maria, dije un vaso-’’ (Maria I said a glass-)

Her brother was there with a glass in a second and Clara drank it between sobs.

‘’Ni una guerra más.’’ Gabriela said, her younger daughter on her arms playing with her hair. ‘’No paran de hacerse daño.’’ (They don’t stop getting hurt.)

‘’Estoy bien, mami.’’ (I’m okay mom.) Clara said.

‘’Lo siento, Clarita.’’ (I’m sorry.)  Lance said and gave her a peck on the cheek. ‘’No más guerras.’’ (No more wars.)

 

2- 2012’s New Year’s Eve. McClain’s house. Varadero, Matanzas. Cuba.

 

‘’Tenemos que hacer algo.’’ (We have to do something.)

The five siblings sighed at the same time.

There were six children on the house at the moment. Marco and Maria, their cousins, Clarita and Elisa, Gaby’s daughters, and Charlie and Tom, Jaime’s kids.

For Christmas, the ‘’grown-ups’’ (see: not really, just the older.) had decided to buy a goldfish for each kid. Two days after New Year’s Eve one of the fish was floating on the tank.

‘’Lo de los peces fue tu idea, Lance.’’ (The fish thing was your idea, Lance.) Jaime, his big brother said.

‘’Claro, ahora la culpa es mía.’’ (Of course, now it’s my fault.) Lance complained.

‘’Yo no les pienso decir a mis hijas que su pez murió.’’ (I’m not telling my daughters their fish is dead.) Gabriella, the older of the four said. ‘’Esto es tu responsabilidad. ‘’(This is your responsibility).

‘’¡Cómo si le fuera a decir a los niños que sus peces están muertos!’’ (Like fuck I’m telling the kids their fish is dead!)

‘’¿Por qué no solo compramos otro?’’ (Why don’t why just buy another one?) Susana said.

‘’Que alguien lo saque ya de ahi.’’ (Somebody take it out of there) Gaby said. ‘’Alex.’’

‘’Eugh. No.’’ Alex said grimacing. ‘’Yo no toco eso.’’ (I’m not touching that.)

‘’Tanto gym y tanta tontería para no ser capaz de tocar un pez.’’ (All that gym and all that nonsense to not being able to touch a fish.) Susana said grabbing the fish and tossing it to a bag.

‘’¡Estaba muerto!’’ (It was dead!) Alex defended himself.

‘’Intenta decirlo más alto anda. Creo que no te han oído en La Habana.’’ (Try to say it louder. I don’t think they heard you in La Habana.) Jaime mocked rolling his eyes.

‘’¿Quién estaba a cargo de alimentarlos?’’ (Who was in charge of feeding them anyways?) Alex asked crossing his arms.

‘’Su.’’ Lance said.

‘’Oh no.’’ she said lifting a finger and poking Lance. ‘’Tú no me estás tirando el muerto.’’ (You are not pinning the blame on me.)

‘’¿Quién entonces?’’ (Who then?) Alex asked. 

‘’Saben bien que yo duermo hasta las dos. Nunca me hubiera ofrecido para eso.’’ (You guys know well I sleep till two (pm). I would have never offered to do that.) Su said smiling.

‘’Es cierto, estás siempre durmiendo.’’ (True. you are always sleeping.) Lance said.

‘’Porque llego tarde a casa. Porque estoy de fiesta pasándola bien.’’ (Because I always get home late. Because I’m at parties having a good time.)

‘’Todo sea por no levantarse y ayudar como hacemos los demás.’’ (Just to not get up and help like the rest of us do.) Lance said scowling.

‘’Estás celoso de que salga a más fiestas que tú.’’ (You are just jealous I party more than you.)

‘’Cómo si-’’ (As if-)

‘’¡Basta!’’ (Enough!) Jaime shouted. ‘’Ya paren los dos.’’ (Stop both of you.)

‘’Y dicen que yo soy el inmaduro…’’ (and they say I am the immature one…) Alex muttered grinning.

‘’Les dijimos a los niños que les dieran de comer. ¿No se acuerdan?’’ (we told the kids to feed them, don’t you remember?) Jaime said.

‘’Yo les di de comer hace un par de días.’’ (I gave them food a them a couple days ago) Alex said. 

‘’Yo también.’’ (Same) Lance said.

‘’Y yo.’’ (Me too) Gaby admitted.

Su snorted and started clapping sarcastically.

‘’Lo mataron por darle demasiada comida, idiotas.’’ (You guys killed it by giving it too much food, idiots)

Jaime sighed and looked at her sister, who stopped.

‘’Tenemos que decidir quién va a por más peces y quien se queda a distraer a los niños.’’ (We have to decide who is going to buy more fishes and who is going to distract the children.) Gaby said crossing her arms. 

‘’Niños.’’ (Children) Lance and Su said.

‘’Peces.’’ (Fish) Jaime and Alex said.

‘’Perfecto. Ahora, ¡muevanse antes de que se despierten!’’ (Perfect. Now move before they wake up!)

  
  


3-2014, june. Jaime’s house. Miami, Florida. United States.

 

‘’C’mon buddy, swim to me!’’

Charlie shook his head and grabbed the pool’s stairs even harder.

‘’Charlie you are a pussy!’’ his brother said from Lance’s shoulder.

‘’Don’t call your brother pussy.’’ Jaime said, watching the kids while he prepared the barbecue. ‘’Call him  _ cobarde _ .’’ (Coward)

‘’¡Cobarde!’’ Tom shouted smirking.

‘’Shut up!’’

‘’C’mon, Charlie. Just a few strokes and I’ll catch you. Promise.’’ Lance said opening his arms.

‘’But I’m going to drown.’’ Charlie muttered.

‘’You are not! Tío Lance said he will catch you!’’ Tom said. He left Lance’s neck, where he had been holding and waiting for his brother and swam to the stairs. ‘’C’mon, mom is about to arrive and you told her you would have done it by then!’’

Tom held his hand and Charlie gulped.

‘’There won’t be picadillo for you if you don’t swim.’’ Jaime said.

‘’But papá!’’ 

‘’No papá. You told mom you would do it, so do it-’’

‘’Who told mom what?’’ a woman asked from the kitchen door.

‘’Mom!’’ Charlie shouted and ran next to her. ‘’Papá said he wouldn’t give me picadillo if I didn’t swim.’’

‘’Did he?’’ she said leaving some bags with stuff in a table besides her husband. ‘’You’ll have to swim then.’’

‘’But I’m going to drown!’’ he said hugging her knees.

‘’You are noooooooot!’’ Tom said. ‘’Look! I can do it just fine!’’

The kid swam from the stairs to his uncle and Lance hugged him and turned a couple times, making the kid giggle.

‘’Don’t you want to go and play with them?’’ Jaime said. ‘’Leave your mom and jump to the pool.’’

‘’But I don’t wanna-’’ Charlie gasped as his mother lifted him and walked to the swimming pool. ‘’Mom! Nononono-’’

‘’Lance, watch out!’’ Sarah threw him to the pool. He fell close to Lance and his brother, and he was out of the water and gasping for air seconds later. WIthout a lot of trouble he swam to Lance and hid in his uncle’s neck.

‘’I hate you mom!’’ he shouted to his laughing mother without looking at her.

‘’But look at you! You did it!’’ Lance said squeezing him on a hug. ‘’You swim as well as mermaids!’’

‘’I don’t wanna be a mermaid.’’ Charlie muttered.

‘’Why not? They are awesome. They don’t need pants.’’

‘’They don’t?!’’ Tom shrieked and climbed on Lance’s back. ‘’I want to be a mermaid too!’’

 

4- 2015, september. Jaime’s house. Miami, Florida. United States.

 

‘’Tío Lance, Tío Lance-’’

Lance woke up immediately. He had never been a light sleeper, but he had starting having trouble sleeping since he moved from Cuba, and just sleeping with music helped him. But he couldn’t afford being distracted with music when his nephews woke him up at least twice a week in the middle of the night.

‘’What’s wrong?’’ he asked, reaching for his phone.

He lighted it up and pointed at himself. He couldn’t see him, but he knew his nephew was looking at him from his bunk.

‘’Nightmare?’’ Lance asked, knowing the answer.

‘’Yes.’’ Charlie muttered.

Lance sighed and turned the phone lighting the small (really small, ridiculously small) room.

‘’See little man? Nobody is here beside us.’’

‘’Keep the light a little more.’’

‘’Do you want to open the curtains a little?’’

‘’That will wake Tom up.’’

‘’Tom can live with it.’’ Lance said and stretched his hand to move the curtain. He didn’t even have to get up. The bedroom was that small. It just had the bunk and a built-in wardrobe, and since Lance had moved with his brother, there was a mattress on the floor as well (occupying all of it).

They used to lift it during the day and then drop it on the floor to sleep, but once it had almost smashed Charlie and Tom while they were playing, and to avoid any more near-death experiences, they just left the mattress on the floor permanently.

That left zero room to move or do anything, but Lance wasn’t about to complain.

‘’Thanks To Lance.’’ Charlie muttered, and that was his clue to turn off the phone.

‘’De nada.’’ (You’re welcome)

‘’Can I tell you something?’’

‘’Shoot.’’ Lance said, hiding a yawn on his shoulder.

‘’I don’t like the top-bunk.’’

‘’How so? You choosed it.’’

‘’I just took it because Tom sleepwalks and I don’t want him to fall.’’

That was true. When Lance wasn’t woken up by Charlie’s nightmares, he was woken up by Tom sleep-talking on his sleep (he had even had full conversations with him), or just walking out of the room on the bad days.

‘’I would catch him if he fell.’’ Lance said. ‘’There is literally no floor to fall in.’’

‘’I know, Tio Lance.’’

‘’Then go to sleep and stop worrying. I’ve got this.’’

‘’Buenas noches, Tío Lance.’’ (Good night.) Charlie said.

‘’Buenas noches, peque.’’

 

5- 2016’s August, Varadero beach, Matanzas. Cuba.

 

Had Lance had better ideas than bringing his text books to the beach? Yeah, probably. Was that going to stop him? Hah, had it ever?

So, in Mom’s huge beach bag, there were about ten food’s containers, too many water bottles that would end up poured on the sand at the end of the day, a little shovel that literally nobody used, his text books, and enough sunscreen to protect a british army. 

‘’Es una metáfora graciosa, Mamá.’’ (It’s a funny metaphor, mom) Alex insisted.

‘’Si, cariño, lo que tu digas.’’ (Yes, honey, whatever you say.)

‘’No lo es, es racista.’’ (Is not, its racist.) Su said closing the car’s trunk.

‘’No es racista si lo dice una minoría.’’ (Not racist if a minority says it.) Alex said pointing at himself with his thumb. ‘’ Yo soy una minoría.’’ (I’m a minority.)

‘’Your dick is a minority.’’ Lance called.

‘’¡Entendí eso!’’ (I understood that!) his mom shouted.

‘’¡Eso no tiene sentido Lance!’’ (That doesn’t make sense Lance!) 

‘’Hey niños, el primero que llegue a la playa no tiene que echarse crema!’’ (Hey kids, the first one to get to the beach doesn’t have to use sunscreen!) Lance said before he started running with all the children after him.

‘’¡Eso es mentira!’’ (That’ a lie!) Lance’s mom shouted.

After helping to establish their small beach umbrellas/campament, bathing the kids in sunscreen, and have the mandatory swim on the sea, Lance took over an entire towel with its own beach umbrella and sat comfortably to revise.

Or, tried to.

‘’Hey Tío Lance, Tío Lance ven al agua con nosotros.’’ (Come to the water with us) his nephews said poking him on the sides after an hour or so without receiving his attention.

‘’Jaaaime…’’ Lance sighed and soon his brother had taken a children in each arm and sent them off.

‘’Gracias.’’

‘’Maybe you should take a break and go swim with them a little.’’ Jaime said sitting besides him.

‘’Just like the rest of my college classmates are doing?’’ Lance muttered tiredly. ‘’Look, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but I can’t afford to lose my time like this.’’

‘’Why did you come to the beach, then?’’ 

‘’I-’’ Lance closed his book and rubbed the back of his hands over his eyes. He missed his family enough at it was when he was in the State, he would be crazy if he missed any given opportunity to spend time with them. ‘’A change of scenery it’s supposed to help you study or whatever.’’

‘’And who says that?’’ Jaime asked knowingly

‘’I don’t know. Experts.’’

‘’Great.’’ Jaime said humming. ‘’If you follow those shitty advices from strangers take one from your family, will you? Go relax a little with your kids at your beach. You deserve it.’’

‘’Jaime…’’ Lance sighed.

‘’Nope. None of that.’’ his brother said taking his book from him. ‘’Just look at that supposed sand castle. The water is going to destroy it in ten seconds. And then the kids will come crying to you and you will never take them out of your back. So, be smart and spend five minutes with them now before the water take their castle down. ’’

Lance glanced over at the kids and smiled. They were throwing sand and little stones to the waves and shouting to the sea, as if that would keep it away from their castle. He got up and walked towards them.

‘’Niños, así no van a proteger el castillo.’’ (That’s not how you protect a castle, kids.) Lance told them kneeling on the sand. ‘’Tienen que poner murallas.’’ (You gotta build some walls).

The kids cheered and started building the walls with him. The waves kept going over them but they just put more sand. Eventually there were not one but three different walls defending their castle from the evil ocean.

When he realised, Lance was covered almost entirely by sand and he took all the children to the water. All of them holding onto him when a specially big wave came and they were afraid of being twirled around by it.

He heard one of the adults call the kids to eat something and he helped them get out of the water between giggles and laughs. He watched them run to their towels and sit on a line to be handed some sandwiches.

‘’Why didn’t you tell me you were transferring to UCF?’’ Jaime asked next to him.

Lance froze.

‘’How did you find out?’’ 

‘’Allura called you while you were playing with the kids. She said her uncle’s got the apartment ready for you.’’

‘’Oh. Right.’’

The brothers stood in silence looking at the see.

‘’You don’t have to move for us, you know it right? It’s not a problem having you in.’’

‘’Yeah, I know. Thank you for having me this entire year, by the way.’’ Lance said kicking one of the rocks. ‘’But that’s not the main reason I’m moving. I do it for me.’’

Jaime hummed.

‘’You couldn’t enter the first time you applied.’’

‘’Yeah.’’

‘’They accepted you now?’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’Why didn’t you tell anybody?’’

‘’Well, everybody is very busy, Gaby just started working for that lawyer, and Alex just finished his degree... and also with Grandpa’s stuff…’’

‘’Nonsense, Lance. We are very proud of you.’’ Jaime said squeezing his shoulder. ‘’Mamá and Papá would love to hear the good news.’’

Lance smiled. ‘’I guess.’’

They watched the waves come and go on its constant flow, getting their feet wet.

‘’So back to Orlando, huh?’’ his brother said. ‘’Doesn’t your friend Hunk still live there?’’

‘’Yeah.’’ Lance said. ‘’He was almost as sad as me when I didn’t make it last year.’’

Jaime laughed. ‘’I remember. He cried at dinner.’’

Lance chuckled at that. Jaime and Sarah had invited Hunk and Allura to a ‘goodbye dinner’ when they had brought all Lance’s stuff to their house.

‘’Well, and when are you moving?’’

‘’As soon as we come back.’’

‘’You’ll let us help you pack and take you there, right?’’

‘’I was counting on it.’’ he said smirking. ‘’Thank you Jaime.’’

‘’De nada hermano.’’ (You are welcome brother). ‘’Reach the stars for us, will you?’’

‘’Sure.’’

 

+1 2011, june. Orlando International Airport, Florida. The United States.

 

Lance exited the plane reluctantly.  _ The United States.  _ His siblings’ hugs still warm on his skin, his dad’s tears as he apologised for not being able to bring Lance’s mom to the airport.

Lance went to the bathroom before taking his luggage. He looked at himself in the mirror and struggled with the ‘fancy american’ sink to get some water to splash on his face.

What was he even doing? 

_ Right, I just moved to a new country, to live with a woman I barely know, who probably hates my guts, despite my mom’s will, making her angry enough not to talk to me. _

_ Good plan, Lance. _

He left the bathroom because he couldn’t bear seeing his reflection anymore.

···

‘’¿Por qué haces esto, Lance?’’ (Why do you do this, Lance?)she had told him on the verge of tears. ‘’¿Tanto me odias?’’ (Do you hate me that much?)

···

He took a suitcase on each hand and pulled them behind him all over the airport, hand gripping and old photo like it was keeping him from running back to the plane, to cry in his mother’s arm and tell her how sorry and how wrong he was-

And there she was. Just like his grandpa had described her. Small but standing tall on her highheels, head raised, not a single hair escaping her tight bun, eyes laser-focused on the ‘departures door’ waiting for him.

Even when it was the first time Lance was seeing his Grandmother, he couldn’t have missed her. She looked just like an older version of his mother.

‘’Hello.’’ she greeted him.

‘’Hola.’’ Lance couldn’t help but hiss. Why was she talking in english?

‘’Quick. We have to get in the car before the traffic gets worse.’’ she took one of his suitcases and started walking towards the exit.

He followed her quietly. Trying to remember every single thing his grandpa had told him about his wife.

···

‘’No es una persona fácil de tratar, Lance.’’ (She’s not easy to deal with, Lance.) ‘’Es fría y tratará de poner distancia entre vosotros.’’ (She is cold and will try to put distance between you two.) ‘’Pero recuerda que estará tan asustada como tú, y si no te quisiera, no te acogería en su casa.’’ (But remember she will be as scared as you, and if she didn’t love you, she wouldn’t welcome you in her house.)

···

They entered the car in silence and Lance made a quick call to his dad to tell him he had landed and they were leaving the airport.

‘’Was that Daniela?’’ Laura asked.

‘’No.’’ Lance said bitterly. ‘’Mamá doesn’t talk to me.’’

She gripped the wheel and sighed.

‘’How are they?’’

‘’Your children, you mean?’’ Lance asked. ‘’The ones you abandoned and didn’t bother in contact in 40 years?’’

‘’Remember I’m taking you in  _ my _ house out of the goodness of my heart, boy.’’ she said. 

‘’Yeah.’’ Lance said. ‘’Thank you.’’

‘’You are welcome.’’

Lance tried to listen to some music to calm his nerves but all the music on his phone reminded him of home and he wasn’t about to cry in front of this woman.

He remembered painfully that  _ this woman _ was his Grandmother, and she probably has felt as homesick as he was now for years.

‘’They are okay.’’ he said. ‘’Mamá is a teacher at the local school. Tío Pedro got a farm and they sell their stuff on a little shop on the town. Tía Elena works at the bar. She’s pregnant of her second daughter.’’

Laura was quiet for a couple minutes. Lance looked ahead, to the road, taking in the sight of his new home. The thought made him sick.

‘’Gracias.’’ she whispered, and Lance managed to see her blinking her eyes faster than it would be normal, and gulping, almost as if she was holding a sob, and he decided to give her a chance.

‘’De nada.’’

 

**Author's Note:**

> I had this half written for months, and I thought this was the perfect moment to post idk  
> So, this is Lance's backstory, I hope you guys liked it!  
> Thank you for reading! :D


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